Flavors of the Region

Enhance your next meal or charcuterie board with flavors from the Chautauqua-Lake Erie Region! Stock up on favorites to bring home, either for you to enjoy and take you back to a "Chautauqua state of mind," or to share with loved ones and friends. Discover artisanal food products like locally made grape products, fruit and maple syrups, cheese, spices, and more.

The emphasis on small-batch, fresh, and local is strong in Chautauqua County. Farmers Markets crop up in nearly every community during growing and harvest seasons and sell meats, dairy, produce, preserves, honey, maple syrup, baked goods, and florals, while Amish stands sell bulk spices, baked goods, and produce throughout the countryside. You can also visit many farms directly for both protein and plant food sources. Westfield Fisheries is a fish market near Barcelona Harbor that sells the very popular smoked whitefish, caught fresh from Lake Erie. 

U-Pick produce is a fun family tradition. Visit Aber's Acres, Whittier, or Olde Chautauqua Farm for in-season berries, apples, stone fruits, squash, and greens. Pair your handpicked haul with artisanal cheese from Cadwell's Cheese House or Reverie Creamery. Visit Vinewood Acres Sugar Shack in Westfield to sample 21 flavors of fruit syrups made from their Lake Erie orchards. 

Delight in the variety of handmade chocolates sold at Webb's Candies, Peterson's Candies, and Valvo's Candies; curate a box with milk, dark, and white chocolate treats - some with nuts, and some cream or caramel filled. Try goatmilk fudge, pecan turtles, and sponge candy - a regional delicacy.

On the topic of sweets, Addies Ice Cream is made locally in Ripley has hand unique flavors like Nerds, Mint Oreo Fudge, and more. You can find their ice cream proudly sold at several ice cream stands throughout Chautauqua County, along with another western New York brand, Perry's! Krasa's Kove in Findley Lake makes and serves its own ice cream on-site! You can even experiment by ordering a flight of flavors to sample if committing to one is too difficult. They have limited runs of special flavors like strawberry rhubarb pie, white chocolate blueberry, unicorn bark, and more. 

Appreciating and sharing, wine, and other craft beverages is a way for some people to create community and connection with friends and family. Chautauqua County is home to several wineries, breweries, distilleries, and boutique beverage retailers, many of whom use locally harvested grapes, grains, and other ingredients to make their products.